ScienceDaily: Nature News Nature. Read the latest scientific research on the natural world, ecology and climate change. Carnivore species shrank during global warming event Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EDT A new study indicates extinct carnivorous mammals shrank in size during a global warming event that occurred 55 million years ago. The study describes a new species that evolved to half the size of its ancestors during this period of global warming. Deadly bat fungus found in several European countries Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EDT Within five years the death toll of North American bats succumbing to “white-nose syndrome” has reached the one million threshold. Now, the causative fungus Geomyces destructans has been identified in a number of European countries -- so far without detrimental effects for the native bat populations. How giant tortoises, alligators thrived in High Arctic 50 million years ago Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EDT A new study of the High Arctic climate roughly 50 million years ago helps to explain how ancient alligators and giant tortoises were able to thrive on Ellesmere Island well above the Arctic Circle, even as they endured six months of darkness each year. Acidifying oceans spell bleak marine biological future 'by end of century', Mediterranean research finds Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EDT A unique 'natural laboratory' in the Mediterranean Sea is revealing the effects of rising carbon dioxide levels on life in the oceans. The results show a bleak future for marine life as ocean acidity rises, and suggest that similar lowering of ocean pH levels may have been responsible for massive extinctions in the past. Irish lizards threatened by agriculture Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT A new ecological network is urgently needed in Northern Ireland to ensure the continued survival of its precious lizard population, according to researchers. Lizards are found in coastal areas, heath and boglands around Northern Ireland, but a new study has found their natural habitats may have been replaced through agricultural intensification. Deep, open ocean is vastly under-explored, study finds Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EDT Researchers have discovered that the deep open ocean, by far the largest habitat for life on Earth, is currently the most under-explored area of the sea, and the one we know least about. Drought drives decade-long decline in plant growth Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EDT Global plant productivity that once was on the rise with warming temperatures and a lengthened growing season is now on the decline because of regional drought, according to a new study of NASA satellite data. Habitat of elusive Northern squid documented Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EDT Squid and octopus play an important but often overlooked role as key prey in the Arctic marine food web. Large species such as narwhal, beluga and seals rely heavily on energy-rich squid. Until recently little was known about where these animals prefer to live, but a new study aims to shed light on the habitat preferences of these elusive creatures. Getting a tail up on conservation? New method for measuring lizard weight from size Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT A researcher in Israel has developed an improved tool for translating lizard body lengths to weights. The new equations calculate this valuable morphological feature to estimate the weight of a lizard species in a variety of different ecosystems. Climate change affects geographical range of plants, study finds Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EDT Researches in Sweden have shown how climate change many million years ago has influenced the geographical range of plants by modeling climate preferences for extinct species. The method can also be used to predict what effects climate change of today and tomorrow will have on future distributions of plants and animals. A tale of two atolls Sun, 22 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EDT To gain new insights on the impact of fishing on coral reefs, marine biologists are taking advantage of an ongoing "natural experiment" at two isolated Pacific atolls -- one inhabited by people, the other off-limits to fishing. Sponge shines light on life's origin: Genome connects the dots between Amphimedon, animal descendants Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT The simple sponge can reveal much about life on Earth. Researchers who have sequenced the genome of one Down Under inhabitant are learning just how common those roots are. Scientists have established a draft genome sequence for Amphimedon queenslandica, a sponge found off the coast of Australia. The genome is helping evolutionary biologists connect the dots as they look for DNA sequences shared by metazoans, or multicelled animals. Tracking marine animal travel Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT Scientists are gaining a deeper understanding of marine mammal travel patterns using a large-scale tracking network. A new Public Library of Science (PLoS) collection, created in conjunction with the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) Program and the Census of Marine Life (CoML), will highlight the variety of ways scientists are using this large POST network to trace marine animal movement in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Coastal creatures may have reduced ability to fight off infections in acidified oceans Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:00:00 EDT The ocean is filled with a soup of bacteria and viruses. Animals living in these environments are constantly under assault by pathogens and need to be able to mount an immune response to protect themselves from infection, especially if they have an injury or wound that is openly exposed to the water. Researchers are studying the effects of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide on these organisms' immune systems. Managing white pine blister rust Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT In a series of new articles, researchers provide a synthesis of knowledge on C. ribicola, identifiy policy and management actions to mitigate disease impacts, and review future issues facing white pine management such as climate change and new pathogen introductions. Massive coral mortality following bleaching in Indonesia Tue, 17 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EDT Initial field observations indicate that a dramatic rise in the surface temperature in Indonesian waters has resulted in a large-scale bleaching event that has devastated coral populations. Deep ocean floor research yields promising results for microbiologists Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EDT Research by microbiologists is revealing how marine microbes live in a mysterious area of the Earth: the realm just beneath the deep ocean floor. The ocean crust may be the largest biological reservoir on our planet. Oxygen fuels the fires of time Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EDT Variations in the Earth's atmospheric oxygen levels are thought to be closely linked to the evolution of life, with strong feedbacks between uni- and multicellular life and oxygen. Over the past 400 million years, the level of oxygen has varied considerably from the 21% value we have today. Scientists have now revealed that the amount of charcoal preserved in ancient peat bogs, now coal, gives a measure of how much oxygen there was in the past. World’s most endangered otter 'rediscovered' in Malaysia Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:00:00 EDT The world’s most endangered otter species, known as the hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana), has been “rediscovered” in Deramakot Forest Reserve in Sabah, Malaysia, by a collaboration of German and Malaysian researchers. New light on speciation and biodiversity of marine microorganisms Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EDT The world’s oceans are host to an enormous diversity of drifting, microscopic organisms, known as plankton. How this biodiversity has arisen has puzzled biologists for decades. An international team of researchers has now succeeded in elucidating how new planktonic species are formed, providing an explanation for the large biodiversity seen today. Shared phosphoproteome links remote plant species Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EDT Researchers have shown that even the most widely-varying species of plants share remarkable similarities in the composition of proteins in them that undergo phosphorylation, a regulatory mechanism involved in various cellular phenomena. A database released by the group, with information on over three thousand phosphorylated proteins and phosphorylation sites in rice, opens new doors in the study and engineering of plants. New analysis weighs lost trade, costs to control invasive species against economic damages Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EDT Bugs, plants, animals and viruses travel the globe, invading new territory and wreaking havoc as they upset the balance of nature, destroy agriculture and damage human health. Biological alien invaders are often introduced via international trade, forcing policymakers to regulate the movement of goods to stop them. Economists now examine which trade measures make good economic sense -- from restrictions to full protection. Tiny, new, pea-sized frog is old world's smallest Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EDT The smallest frog in the Old World (Asia, Africa and Europe) and one of the world's tiniest was discovered inside and around pitcher plants in the heath forests of the Southeast Asian island of Borneo. The pea-sized amphibian is a species of microhylid, which, as the name suggests, is composed of miniature frogs under 15 millimeters. A 'crystal ball' for predicting the effects of global climate change Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EDT In trying to predict how species will respond to climate change caused by global warming, researchers and scientists are turning to comparative physiology, a sub-discipline of physiology that studies how different organisms function and adapt to diverse and changing environments. Overall, the comparative approach gives researchers insights into the effects of global warming that they wouldn't otherwise have. Dwindling green pastures, not hunting, may have killed off the mammoth Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EDT A massive reduction in grasslands and the spread of forests may have been the primary cause of the decline of mammals such as the woolly mammoth, woolly rhino and cave lion, according to scientists. Hitchhiking bacteria can go against the flow Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EDT Tiny aquatic organisms known as "water fleas" play an important role in carrying bacteria to lake and ocean habitats that are otherwise inaccessible due to stratified density boundaries. For animals as small as bacteria, the boundary between water masses of different temperature and salinity may as well be a brick wall. Hitching a ride on larger zooplankton helps them break through to greener pastures. Evolution rewritten, again and again Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EDT Palaeontologists are forever claiming that their latest fossil discovery will "rewrite evolutionary history." Is this just boasting or does our "knowledge" of evolution radically change every time we find a new fossil? Wild Southeast Asian porcupines under threat due to illegal hunting, researchers find Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EDT Researchers have shown that the consumption of the Southeast Asian porcupine as a specialty food is having a devastating effect on wild populations. Top predators and biodiversity historically pressured in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:00:00 EDT The numbers of top-level predators in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, such as halibut and swordfish, have decreased significantly over what existed 100 years ago, according to a new NOAA report. The National Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series report describes fish populations in the sanctuary that are resilient, but have suffered declines in numbers and species diversity over time. Photo album tells story of wildlife decline Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT With a simple click of the camera, wildlife conservation scientists have developed a new way to accurately monitor long-term trends in rare and vanishing species over large landscapes. Planted, unplanted artificial wetlands are similar at year 15, and function as effective carbon sinks Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT A 15-year experiment in an outdoor "laboratory" shows that naturally colonizing wetlands can offer just as many, if not more, ecological services as will wetlands planted by humans. Researchers have been comparing the behavior of two experimental marshes on the campus, one that was planted in 1994 with wetland vegetation and another that was left to colonize plant and animal life on its own. Worst impact of climate change may be how humanity reacts to it Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EDT The way that humanity reacts to climate change may do more damage to many areas of the planet than climate change itself unless we plan properly, an important new study by a group of leading scientists has concluded. Free as a bird? Human development affects bird flight patterns and populations Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT It may seem like birds have the freedom to fly wherever they like, but researchers have shown that what's on the ground has a great effect on where a bird flies. This information could be used by foresters and urban planners to improve bird habitats that would help maintain strong bird populations. NOAA divers capture invasive lionfish in the Virgin Islands National Park Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT Divers identified and killed a 15-cm-long lionfish in Fish Bay along the southern coast of St. John, making this the fourth such capture and kill of the invasive fish in the Virgin Islands National Park. Creation of the first frozen repository for Hawaiian coral Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EDT Scientists have created the first frozen bank for Hawaiian corals in an attempt to protect them from extinction and to preserve their diversity in Hawaii. Increased destruction of bird populations are predicted with rise in global temperatures Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT In 2003, a massive heat wave struck and killed some 30,000 people in Europe in an area where heat was not considered a major threat. Similar mass die-offs occur in wild birds and some mammals during heat waves, but unlike humans, birds may not be able to take shelter or find fresh water in order to survive devastating heat. What is the outlook for desert bird communities in light of expected global temperature increases on Earth? Scientists test Australia's Moreton Bay as coral 'lifeboat' Fri, 13 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EDT An international team of scientists has been exploring Australia's Moreton Bay, close to Brisbane, as a possible 'lifeboat' to save corals from the Great Barrier Reef at risk of extermination under climate change. In a new research paper, they say that corals have been able to survive and flourish in the Bay, which lies well to the south of the main GBR coral zones, during about half of the past 7000 years. Slowing urban sprawl, adding forests curb floods and help rivers Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:00:00 EDT Controlling urban growth and increasing forested land are the most effective ways to decrease future water runoff and flooding, according to a new study. Climate change implicated in decline of horseshoe crabs Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EDT A distinct decline in horseshoe crab numbers has occurred that parallels climate change associated with the end of the last Ice Age, according to a study that used genomics to assess historical trends in population sizes. Tiny fish evolved to tolerate colder temperature in three years, study finds Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EDT Researchers have observed one of the fastest evolutionary responses ever recorded in wild populations. In as little as three years, stickleback fish developed tolerance for water temperature 2.5 degrees Celsius lower than their ancestors. First evidence of genetically modified plants in the wild, scientists report Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EDT Scientists currently performing field research in North Dakota have discovered the first evidence of established populations of genetically modified plants -- canola -- in the wild. Mosquitoes: Genetic structure of first animal to show evolutionary response to climate change determined Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT Scientists have determined the fine-scale genetic structure of the first animal to show an evolutionary response to rapid climate change. Common orchid gives scientists hope in face of climate change Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:00:00 EDT A study that focuses on epigenetics in European common marsh orchids has revealed that some plants may be able to adapt more quickly to environmental change than previously thought. The research brings new hope to plant conservation. Butterflies shed light on how some species respond to global warming Mon, 09 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EDT Researchers have begun studying the genetic explanation for how two species of butterflies respond to warming. They are investigating what genes are responsible for the individualized responses, and will use genomic tools to learn which genes are involved when the species is experiencing climate change. New satellite data reveals true decline of world's mangrove forests Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EDT New satellite imagery has given scientists the most comprehensive and exact data on the distribution and decline of mangrove forests from across the world. The research reveals forest distribution is 12.3% smaller than earlier estimates. Trojan Horse attack on native lupine: Tiny mice advance under of invasive beachgrass to feast on seeds of endangered plant Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EDT At Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, Calif., a fierce battle is taking place between an invasive plant and a native plant, but one with a new twist. European beachgrass provides cover that allows a timid deer mouse to get close enough to the lupine to snip off stalks of lupine fruits without being nabbed by overflying birds. The two plants aren't in direct competition, but the beachgrass in this indirect way threatens the lupine's ability to survive. Biodiversity hot spots more vulnerable to global warming than thought Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EDT Global warming may present a threat to animal and plant life even in biodiversity hot spots once thought less likely to suffer from climate change, according to a new study. Biologists study rainforest host-plant associations Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT The widening of the Panama Canal currently underway has created a rare opportunity to study the insects that inhabit the plants of environmentally sensitive Central American rainforest habitats. A new research effort there could shed light on biodiversity by documenting the area's host-plant relationships.